Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is comprised of 3.3 million acres in Southeast Alaska, near the community of Gustavus, and provides an example of one of the most rapid glacial retreats documented. The area was covered in ice just over 200 years ago and now offers an intriguing natural laboratory for scientists and a stunning area for visitor exploration. No matter where you are in the park, you are no more than 30 miles from the coast.
The park has snow-capped mountain ranges rising to over 15,000 feet, coastal beaches with protected coves, deep fjords, tidewater glaciers, and coastal and estuarine waters. As marine waters make up nearly one-fifth of the park, Glacier Bay is rich with marine life, including the endangered humpback whale, threatened Stellar sea lion, harbor seals, sea otters and porpoises.
Gustavus, once a small fishing and farming community, has fewer than 400 year-round residents and offers a pastoral welcome to summer visitors. Surrounded by mountains, Gustavus lies amidst some of the most impressive and majestic scenery and pristine wilderness areas left in the world.
Activities and Attractions
Most of the activities in the park are water-focused. Boat tours, kayaking, river rafting, fishing, glacier viewing and whale watching are popular options. Although there are limited trails in the park, there are opportunities for hiking, backpacking, bird watching, mountaineering and ranger-led nature walks in the woods or along the coast. Junior Ranger and Explorer Ranger programs in Glacier Bay give teens and pre-teens the opportunity to hike the park's trails and shoreline, take a boat tour into the bay and learn more about the park.
Accessibility
Gustavus is accessible by air or passenger ferry. Alaska Airlines provides daily jet service from Seattle and Anchorage to Juneau with connections via a number of carriers to Gustavus. The Gustavus airport is 10 miles by road from park headquarters at Bartlett Cove. Several air taxi companies provide small-plane flights year-round from several southeast Alaska towns to Gustavus. A passenger ferry operates between Juneau and Gustavus/Bartlett Cove on a limited schedule. Boats are the primary mode of transportation in the park. Tour boats, pleasure boats and kayaks are popular.
Fees and Visitor Count
There are no entrance fees in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and visitors average 350,000 each year.
Weather and Climate
Summer visitors can expect highs between 50°F and 70°F. Winter temperatures range from 25°F to 40°F.
Facillities
Visitor Information Station for Boaters & Campers - 907-697-2697 - Located at the foot of the public-use dock in Bartlett Cove (Open in May from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; June and August from 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; September from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.)
Glacier Bay Visitor Center - 907-697-2661 - Located on the second floor of Glacier Bay Lodge in Bartlett Cove, 10 miles by road from Gustavus (Open daily May 27-September 11 from Noon-8:45 p.m.)
History
In 1794, a survey crew described what is now called Glacier Bay as a five-mile indent in a glacier that stretched "as far as the eye could distinguish." In 1879, when scientist/naturalist John Muir visited the area, he found the ice had retreated more than 30 miles, creating an actual bay. The glacier has continued to recede at a rapid rate.
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve was named a national monument in 1925. In 1980, the area became a national park and preserve, and 2.7 million acres received wilderness designation. In 1986, the park became a biosphere reserve, and the area was named a world heritage site in 1992.
http://www.nps.gov/glba/index.htm